Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Sunday Roast Chicken With Root Vegetables


As the days are getting colder, ditching the outdoor bbq and embracing the oven seems like a very good idea indeed. A regular at our dinner table, the ever reliable roast chicken with it's golden crispy skin and moist juicy flesh with perfectly roasted vegetables, would have to be the most wonderful dining companions on a chilly and wet Melbourne night. I have been using this recipe adapted from The cook's  companion by Stephanie Alexander for a while now. If you are using a larger bird increase the cooking time by a further 15 minutes.
P.S For some reason not many photographs were taken (could be the wine?)

serves 3 to 4
you'll need;
1 x 1.2 kg free range chicken, dried thoroughly
6 medium size carrots
2 sweet potatoes
2 sweet potatoes (white)
rosemary, chopped
thyme, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
sea salt and pepper
olive oil
1 lemon, halved

Method;
1. pre heat oven at 220 degrees C
2. Mix chopped herbs with 4 tbs of olive oil and rub the chicken with the mixture, squeeze the lemon over the chicken and place the lemon halves into the cavity of the chicken. 
3. Add vegetables into the marinade and mix well.
4. Place vegetables in to a roasting pan and place the chicken on its side, roast for 15 minutes.
5. Turn the chicken onto its other side and roast for a further 15 minutes, turn the vegetables around and baste the chicken with the pan juice.
6. Turn the chicken breast side up for a further 15 minutes of roasting. Remove the chicken and let it rest for 15 minutes in a warm place, continue to roast the vegetables while the chicken is resting.
7. Serve chicken with roasted vegetables and the pan juice and side dishes of your choice.

This is one of the 2 photos I managed to take, I also served a side dish of baked fennel with parmesan cheese.




51 comments:

  1. I love baked chicken! You look wonderful. And if it's for dinner and good wine. hahaha ...
    Kisses.

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  2. I love Roasts!!!!!!!! SLURP!! But I can never be bothered to do it myself! Hahaha

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  3. im definitely going to try this ..the chicken looks totally delectable!

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  4. Mmmmm I love the combination of thyme, rosemary and lemon! Perfect :D

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  5. Amanda,
    Thank you :) kisses

    msihua,
    Haha it is the easiest thing to cook :)

    zurin,
    Thank you! Please do :)

    Brisbane Baker ,
    Thank you! You can change the herbs being used too!

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  6. I enjoy roasts too but never done a whole chicken cos my oven is too small. So I do roast chicken wings!

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  7. Wonderful dish! Comfort food, my dear. Keep warm, all of you!

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  8. I love roast chicken in the colder weather as well. Winter is upon us soon. time to rug up and get cozy!

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  9. I must try your method soon, I always burn the breast and wings! haha!

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  10. It is getting cold dear, I am going to start using the oven too. Thanks for sharing the method you found! Looks like a perfectly roasted chicken!

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  11. Great idea to ditch the bbq :) I think roast chicken is certainly making a comeback at my place too! Thanks for the tips!

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  12. As much as I complain about the cold, I do enjoy it because I can start doing roasts and stews again. Roast chicken is one of our staples too, and I speed it up by getting the butcher to "butterfly" the chicken so it's flat. Love the sound of your baked fennel with parmesan, yum.

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  13. The chicken turned out just perfect!

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  14. I can relate to more wine = less photos lol. A very hearty meal :)

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  15. Haha at least you managed 2 very nice photos :) I actually bought a roast chicken from Coles today, is that bad? :)

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  16. Is outdoor bbq really over by now? I am ready for some good stews and roasts too! Btw I made your lamb and vegetables soup and it was a big hit!!

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  17. that is so good!!!!!!! yeah the cooler months are heading this way i cant wait to layer in clothes lol and i cant wait to make hot creamy and wholesome soups that can last for days and days hehe.

    i remember you guys making a similar dish last year! love the thyme and rosemary and lemon flavours!! does it taste like oporto's lemon and thyme chicken? maybe better? :).

    i never ever roasted chicken before. i should tryyyy

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  18. Tigerfish,
    Wings is very popular too, but they do want a whole chicken for dinner :)

    Ju,
    Thank you very much! I think we will still have a few warm days left :)

    penny,
    Noooo! Winter is 2.5 months away haha

    rosa,
    Please do, it works every time

    KL girl in MELB,
    Thank you! Try this method and see how it goes!

    darren,
    I really hope to use the bbq for a few more times before declaring the season is over haha

    shaz,
    Haha looking forward to the stews too, butterflying the chicken is a great idea, I do that when I bbq a whole chicken :)

    Angie,
    Thank you! :)

    noobcook,
    Haha absolutely :) I am so glad I managed to capture 2 photos though :)

    shanshan,
    Haha I sometimes get a roast chicken from the shop for sandwiches and noodle soup too, not bad at all!

    Jagruti,
    Thank you very much!

    CW,
    No I think not quite! I am so glad to hear about that!!

    Ann,
    Haha thank you! Me too but not looking forward to not being able to have all the windows open though :)
    Yeah I'm forever trying different ways to use a whole chicken because we just love chicken haha.
    Do try it! It make the whole kitchen smells fantastic too!

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  19. Oh the good old roast is back! Thanks for the cooking tips, will you be posting the baked fennel with parmesan recipe?

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  20. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  21. Darling, we haven't roasted a chicken since you left haha. Made the yellow curry last night, one word - awsome!
    Heard about the hail storm in Melbourne, your place ok?

    Sophia xxx

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  22. Oh yeah those carrots look so good. I bet they were super-sweet. Very hearty meal.

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  23. love to eat,
    Slowly I hope! I will post it when I cook that next!

    Sophia darling,
    Really! That was ages ago!
    Very proud of your Thai yellow curry! Vijay sent me a photo of that, looks really good!
    We are fine here, thank god! What was the comment that you removed haha!

    Anncoo,
    Thank you!

    Chef Fresco,
    Indeed they were super sweet! :)

    cikmanggis,
    Oh terima kasih banyak banyak! :)

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  24. This looks wonderful and your pictures are really beautiful. It looks like a perfect meal.

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  25. Harriet from CarltonMarch 10, 2010 at 1:46 AM

    I really like the first photo! Thanks for sharing the tips!
    I normally roast a 1.8kg chook, is an extra 15 minutes sufficient? Thank you!

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  26. I love roast chicken and with the fennel....so delicious!!! Wine does have a way of getting in the way of taking pictures.

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  27. Wow, your roasted chicken sure looks delicious with all the herbs and spices on it, must taste so yummie. Like the idea of sweet potatoes aas well :-)

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  28. The roast looks so inviting. Salivating already!

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  29. ton poulet rôti est parfait ça doit être délicieux
    bonne journée

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  30. Oh my god, that chicken looks incredible! Why do I always make the mistake of reading your blog within an hour of lunch time??? I need to start much earlier! hahaha

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  31. baked chicken....fabulous...chicken roast..it would be a perfect meal n would be a comfort dine too....finger licking chicken roast...

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  32. Roast chicken is one of the greatest things, ever. Heh, it's weird to read you writing about it getting colder just as it's getting warmer here. :D

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  33. Roast chicken is an American classic Sunday meal. Yours looks really good.
    As Australia starts to cool down the southeast part of the U.S. begins to warm up.

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  34. This might sound odd but I have never liked a whole roast Chicken. I like chicken in pieces.

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  35. wow!really amazing presentation!!!luv the recipe too.

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  36. Your Sunday roast chichen looks like to die for!I can smell it!

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  37. That roasted chicken looks divine. I wouldn't mind coming over to your place and staying a while! You certainly know how to cook.
    The rhythm of nature never fails to amaze me..while its getting colder there, its getting warmer here..

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  38. We've been using our oven a lot this winter because here in Florida it's been close to 15 degrees below average temperatures. I can't wait for it to warm up to normal. I love roasted chicken, this one looks great in the 2 photos you do have! Now I can't decide what chicken recipe of yours to use on the chicken I have in the fridge.

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  39. Roasted chicken looks delectable!Loved the way to prepared it..

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  40. A perfect dish for the Sunday dinner..btw stay warm :-)

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  41. I am not very comfortable using a whole chicken for some reason, maybe it is time to start roasting a whole chicken. I love the photos! :)

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  42. Roast chicken is a staple here. I love how beautiful yours is - brown on the outside, brimming with juices and those vegetables are beckoning.

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  43. wow looks perfect when I did this it was dry sob sob

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  44. Looks wonderful!!

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  45. I love and miss roast dinners, it's not something we bother with much in the heat. It looks STUNNING, stunning I tell ya!!

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  46. That is a good looking roast chook buddy! We are going to start Sunday roast again too! Cheers buddy!

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  47. Sonia,
    Thank you :)

    Mary ,
    Thank you! It was a very nice meal indeed!

    Harriet from Carlton,
    Thank you! That will be an hour in the oven and 20 minutes resting time!

    Bo,
    Haha it does! Fennel is just great!

    Juliana,
    Thank you! sweet potatoes are great in a roast! :)

    Cheah ,
    Thank you very much!

    Fimère said...
    Merci!

    Paul Benjamin,
    Thank you! Perhaps you should visit after your lunch haha!

    Reshmi said...
    It is very comforting since our nights are getting colde.

    Bob said...
    Haha I need to find someone that don't like a good roast chicken :)
    It is very strange indeed ;) soon you'll be eating salads and me cooking stews!

    Velva said...
    Thanks :) Same here in Australia :)
    Yeah I'm definitely going into stew territory soon :)

    Alex said...
    Haha not at all, I have friends that can't stand seeing a whole chicken :)

    sangi,
    Thank you very much! :)

    Betty,
    Thank you very much :) x

    Cool Lassi(e),.
    Haha you are welcome anytime :)

    Lyndsey ,
    Oh really! You must be really looking forward to hotter months then!
    Haha let me know which one you have decided :)

    kothiyavunu ,
    Thank you very much!

    Gulmohar ,
    Thank you very much! Will do!

    LMH said...
    Oh you must try using it, it is great!

    Claudia said...
    Oh thank you! It did take a while to figure out all the important steps :)

    Rebecca,
    Thank you! Haha did you cook it for too long?

    Michael,
    Thank you!!

    Eternally Distracted,
    Thank you very much :) We never use the over in summer too!

    fitzboy said...
    Thanks buddy! It is time :)

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